The painful road to Sakura's heart
by SuikoMonster
Summary: Sasuke discovers just how scary his former teammate can be...Will he find this new Sakura less annoying?Will his jealousy get out of control?...mostly SasuSaku,with some NaruHina and NejiTen
1. The power of sake

Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto.

Just a random thing that popped out of nowhere.Hope it's not too lame 'cuz it's the first thing I ever submitted.

Tsunade was yet again wasted before noon.Sakura patiently waited for a word to be uttered from the uber-drunk sennin who seemed peculiarily edgy today.Green eyes scanned the room counting empty bottles of sake wondering if the slug summoner even had a liver.Probably not.

"Umm...Tsunade-shishou"  
"Damn you Antonio!Give me my dolphin back.Ah,Flipper how I love thee!!!",Tsunade rolled over her table screming something about her chair groping her behind,while Sakura clinged on the edge of yet another Tsunade provoked nervous breakdowns.  
"The marines are on their way!!!SAAAKURA!!!Grab your rifle and cover me.  
"THAT'S IT!!!",Sakura screamed out fuming,and turned towards the exit.This was getting old fast,thought the kunoichi,right before she stumbled over a couple of dozens of sake bottles and fell down face first.  
"Damn you and you damned addiction to the deepest pits of damnation!!!",Sakura shouted at a high-pitched squeal.A couple of wolves from the forest started howling.Some windows cracked.Tsunade's mirror shattered into pieces.Yep,cherry blossom was pissed.Royally.  
Uchiha Sasuke felt a strange electro-magnetic wave coming from the direction of the Hokage's tower.He furrowed his brow in pitty,knowing that poor sake-sennin had reached her limit with the fearsome kunoichi,his former teammate.He shuddered,remembering what she did to Lee last time he tried to steal a kiss from her.

TWO DAYS AGO:  
Sakura was casually finishing up her work,looking a bit tired after yet another session of hard training with Tsunade.She seemed rather cheerful for a person who was forced,and quite harshly,if Sasuke saw right,to clean up a particularily big pile of trash from the hospital.But then again,he was away for almost five years,and thus he assumed the girl had changed and matured.Her looks sure did...In a matter of seconds,the mountain of ruble was completely gone,and the Uchiha had to blink a couple of times to make sure this was really happening.And thats when he saw it!

The horrible black fluffy object was hiding behind a tree spying on the oblivious cherry blossom.Sasuke concentrated on the moving of the thick hairy things,recognising the mutated creatures as the infamous eyebrows of Rock Lee.So that guy was still after Sakura?And why the hell was his chakra hidden?

So the raven haired young man decided to follow them...out of pure curiosity,of course.Besides,this promised a bit of fun for the prodigy,fun that was quite lacking while he was training with Orochimaru.Otogakure was a dull place indeed,and now that his first goal was complete Sasuke took his first chance to finish the snake-sennin off,along with the remains of the Sound.Though he would never in hell admit it,he missed his team,he missed the way Naruto was being irritating,the way Kakashi was always late,even the way Sakura annoyed him to the point of tearing the hair out of his head.

So why was it now,when he saw Lee,the Konoha bushy brow,trailing the pink haired girl quietly,Uchiha Sasuke had the sudden urge to pounce him and poke his eyebrows out,one by one?Or even better,to chidori his damn green ass all the way to Snow country?Oh,oh,he could also burn him and his gayish spandax suit to crisp...Unfortunately,Sasuke had to pause his diabolical thoughts to avert his dark gaze towards the now twitching Sakura and the crying Lee in front of her.What the hell happened in the split second he stopped paying attention to them.Was Sakura really that fast to both discover and beat the living daylights out of bushy-bushy in that time lapse?'Whoa..',was the only thing that passed through Uchiha's mind at the moment.

"How DARE you LEE?",Sakura approached her green admirer with a glare that belonged in the same category as the well-known Uchiha death-glare.  
Hell,even Sasuke had the chills tingling down his spine.  
"YOU have three seconds to explain yourself to ME before I catapult your lame excuse for an ass to the moon"  
Lee was now crawling backwards ever so slightly,hoping that Sakura wouldn't notice him seeking an opening to flee for his dear life.  
"LEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!Do you want to waste your precious YOUTH on DYING slowly and extremely painfully?",the once weak,bubbly girl,now a top kunoichi,not to mention the scariest living thing in Konohagakure glared at the poor shaking young man.

The Uchiha prodigy leaped on a nearby tree,but not before making a couple of hand seals to completely hide his chakra.He was sure not going to miss such an interesting event,especially not because it was his former teammate in question here,and besides,he had to admit he was glad she wasn't allowing anyone to bother her,or touch her in certain ways.He quickly shook that thought away,for he could NOT possibly have any interest in the prettiest kunoichi in the vilage.Right?No,Sasuke concluded,he simply couldn't stand bushy-brows...Yeah,that had to be it.

"B-B-B-B-But Sakura-chan,I only wanted to seal our youthful love with a k-k-k-kiss!",Lee explained to the kunoichi,while she was sighing heavily.  
"Fine,Lee,since you admitted to your mistake,I'll let you go.But I swear"  
"I understand",the green boy got up and bowed apologetically,"I'll just have to wait a little longer for you to realise we were made to be together"  
And with that said,Rock Lee dissapeared from her sight to mend his wounds.

Sasuke was really amused by the way the girl took care of her suitor.He made a mental note to himself not to try anything like this,ever.Wait,why would he even want to do such a thing?Silently,he leapt from tree to tree away from Sakura's hearing range in order to train a bit.He wouldn't want to become rusty and let a girl surpass him,would he?'Hell no',he thought as he smashed another rock with his chakra infused fist,imagining it to be Lee's head.

PRESENT DAY:

Pink haired medic stomped out of Tsunede's office looking slightly irritated.She rushed home,avoiding her fanboys with a maneuvar even Sasuke hesitated to use.She litterary went through them,and those hardcore admirers that stood in her way became airborne as she cut her way home.She craved the comfort of her bed,and a jug of coffee,strong black coffee.

As soon as the black boy saw her go around the corner,he entered the hokage's office,only to find the woman in question slouching across the desk,and mumbling something about...dinosaurs?What.The.Hell.This woman needed help,and needed it fast.Sasuke went to the waiting room and bought a coffee,then returned to the office putting the drink right next to Tsunade's nose.If this couldn't help her,then he would have to resort to violence.Uchiha personally didn't find this other option so bad.

"Why?Why did the cute pterodactyl have to die?Tell me moon girl"  
Tsunade opened her eyes groggily at the sudden appealing smell.  
"WEEEEE!!!Coffee!Gimmie!Me want it"  
Raven haired boy observed the hokage,debating whether he should smack her or try to talk to her in this state."Just drink the damn coffee.",he said in his trademark cold fashion.  
"Well,lookie here.Isn't it the Uchiha traitor?So...",Tsunade drank her coffee in a single gulp,"What brings you here"  
Sasuke sat down across her and explained his plan about a certain cherry blossom he knew.

Tsunade blinked a few times.The Uchiha heir was expressionless.  
"Of course,you realise how much booze you'll have to buy me for this"  
"I already figured as much.Sake,I pressume?".Hokage's eyes sparkled.  
"You know,Uchiha clan was always one of my personal favorites"  
"Hn"  
Tsunade got up,suddenly sober,and followed the dark boy to the door.  
"If I don't get the sake I'll tell Sakura about this.So don't try to fool me,or I swear I'll use slugs on your ass.Now buh-bye"  
And she slammed the dook nearly hitting Sasuke in the process.He envisioned the image of many disgusting slugs all over him,and concluded that Tsunade wasn't that bad when it came to threatening people.He shook the image out of his mind,and went to buy off all the sake he could find.But it was all worth it,for this little operation had a very nice reward...


	2. Mission impossible

Disclaimer:Nope,I don't own Naruto.Though I'm so broke that suing me would be pointless.Author's note:I'm a fan of SasuSaku so I had to do something about it.I also plan to do some jelous Sasuke in the next chapters.Anyway,please read and review.Special thanks to tiffanylicis for my very first review.

...  
"What now?",the pink kunoichi lazily questioned Shizune.  
Shizune herself was breathless at the moment,and Sakura gave her a moment to recover.She was obviously running all the way to Sakura's home.What did the poor excuse for a hokage had in store for her this time?It better not have anything to do with Gai complaining about her beating Lee up again...It was really getting old fast.

"Sakura-san!Tsunade's somehow gotten her hands on another stash of sake!This is bad.She keeps babbling something about hamsters"  
Sakura shrugged and grabbed her kunais,because she had a feeling she'd need a lot of those.  
"Go ahead Shizune-san.I'll meet you there in a minute."This was going to be one of those days,the girl thought while she was heading towards the source of trouble,namely,her dear hokage.

In the meanwhile,Sasuke was eating ramen with Naruto at Ichiraku's.Naruto had also changed while the Uchiha was on his revenge quest,and had matured quite a bit too.However,when it came to ramen Naruto was still just...well,Naruto.So he went on ahead and ordered one of everything,while Sasuke went for the plain beef ramen.The fox boy had told Sasuke everything that happened to the team after he had left the village,and also explained how he and Sakura trained under the two remaining sennin so that they could help him and bring him back home.Naruto was however glad that Sasuke returned on his own free will.And killed Orochimaru.

"So teme,I wondered this the other day.Now that Orochimaru's dead,is your curse-seal still active"  
"Only when I want it.I can fully control it now."Sasuke gazed into the imaginary spot in the distance.  
Naruto was wise enough to notice this,so he dropped the subject for the time being.  
"Naruto"  
"Huh?What?",Naruto's eyes turned to slits and he gave him his foxy grin.  
"You still owe me a fight"  
"Of course,but this time,I'll win for sure.Then you'll have to acknowledge me!".The onyx eyes looked at Naruto in wonder,and Sasuke rose to his feet.  
"Naruto.I acknowledged you long time ago.".Then he added "Dobe!",and smirked.Naruto just grinned like an idiot,but soon his smile was wiped from his face when he remembered something.  
"Oh,Sasuke-teme.Did you talk to Sakura yet?She's been edgy ever since you came back"  
"Aa.I was going to."Uchiha turned to leave when Naruto added,"Just don't tick her off.She'll beat you to a pulp"  
Sasuke chuckled,"Yeah,I'd like to see her try"  
"Hey,believe it!"

Now that he thought about it,Sakura did kind of seem to avoid him.He'd only seen her a couple of times with Naruto and Hinata,but when she'd seen him,she would just make some excuse and leave.That was very un-Sakura-like,considering how she used to be all over him prior to his departure.He remembered that night,and now that he thought about what she did for him,and what she was willing to do,it made him suddenly feel very bad.He remembered the way he knocked her out coldly,leaving her crushed and heartbroken on that bench.What was this new feeling?Why was he,the Uchiha heir,concerned about a single girl?Why did he had the urge to rip Lee apart when he saw him near her?Sasuke just hoped that Tsunade was going to give him a chance to talk to Sakura.He needed to get to the bottom of this.

"NNNooooOOOoo..!!!!!!!!",Tsunade ran around the table,"You can't have my precious!".Sakura and Shizune stood at the door and sweatdropped to this absurd situation.  
"Sakura-san.Should we tell her that nobody's chasing after her?".Sakura glanced at Shizune.  
"Nah...Let her run a couple of laps.Maybe she'll exhaust herself and faint"  
"Good point,Sakura-san.Kakashi was right when he said you were the brightest"  
"Oi,my let granny rub your big said looking at Sakura.And that was it for her.Yep,she was doomed.

It was a bad thing to mention the size of Sakura's forehead.If you don't believe it,ask Tsunade.She knows.She has scars to prove it.

Half an hour later Tsunade was tied to her chair and had a kunai at her throat.Sakura put a bottle of sake so that the sennin could smell it.Shizune tried to help Tsunade,but was effectively shut up by an icy glare.Knuckles cracked.

Sasuke Uchiha leaned against the window frame outside the office enjoying the sight.He had to admit that the once weak girl had a lot of imagination when it came to torturing her dear hokage.Heck,he even felt endangered in the creativity department right now.Hiding his chakra,he leaned his ear to the wooden frame.

"Tsunade-shisou"  
"S-S-S-Sakura-san!Don't beat her up...too much.".Shizune was also kind of amused.  
"Eh,don't worry Shizune-san.I'll just drink her sake for her."Tsunade twitched to this remark.  
"Unless she apologises and just tells me what she wants so I can go back to sleep"  
Sakura approached the panicking sennin and removed the tape from her mouth...quite harshly.

Sasuke shuddered.He knew what it felt like to be shaved with wax.Kabuto did that to him as a prank when he was asleep once.Uchiha fractured his skull arterwards,but still...It was...ugh...painful.

"I'LL DO ANYTHING!!!DON'T TOUCH MY PRETTIES!!!My poor babies...Weee"  
"First apologise"  
"Ok,dammit.I'm sorry I mentioned that enormous"  
"Ahem",Shizune cleared her throat."I mean how I praised that oh lovely forehead of yours"  
"Good.",Sakura took the glass of sake and brought it close to Tsunade's mouth.Of course,the poor alco-addict couldn't reach it no matter how much she squirmed.

The raven haired eavesdropper was now stuggling not to burst out laughing.This was truly priceless.

"Well before I unbind you,tell me what do you want.If it's not that urgent I'd like to have the rest of the day off.So"  
"Umm...Ohhh-kayy.There's this thingy.You can have the rest of the day for yourself,but"  
Sakura twitched impatiently.More knuckles cracked.How many fingers did the kunoichi possess?Scary.  
"Tomorrow,you have a mission to go to an abandoned part of the village and help out with the restauration.The owner wants to repopulate the place"  
"The owner?",Sakura questioned.  
"Sasuke Uchiha.",Tsunade now enjoyed the kunoichi's expression.Sakura was frozen right there.

Sasuke spent a really long three seconds of anticipation.Why the hell was he so worried now?He could do it himself with ease.But he really wanted to talk to her.

"...fine."Haruno Sakura anticipated the encounter anyway.She would just have to face him sooner or later.Why postpone the misery,she thought.

The prodigy of Konoha walked back home relieved.He now had the chance to talk to her.On his way he passed a couple of cherry trees,in full blossom.It was spring in Konoha.For the reasons yet unknown to him,he was feeling like had just got his old life back.And for the first time,he really appreciated it.

Sakura sat in her living room contemplating her life without any affection,without that old crush of hers.She now had a mission to face the skeletons from her closet.The first thought that came to her mind was...mission impossible.Well,chapter two,complete.I just hope it wasn't too bad.Oh well...Please review,I'd appreciate it.


	3. The docks

Disclaimer:As much as I'd like to...I still don't own it. 

This chapter is a bit more serious than the first two,but I plan to make it funnier later on.Enjoy!  
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Sakura wore her usual clothes today.She was sure as hell not going to dress up for a traitor.However,she couldn't lie to herself and say that she had no lingering feelings towards the Uchiha.It was just the fact that over the time she managed to get rid of her childishness,and therefore she had no desire whatsoever to pounce him like she used to do.She still thought he considered her annoying.So why not prove him wrong?The kunoichi decided that this time,she's going to be as cold and emotionless as possible.

Uchiha Sasuke was in the meanwhile removing the 'keep away' tape from the Uchiha gates.He wished to see this place lively,he wanted to hear people's voices,to smell the pleasant scent of riceballs in the market...He remembered his childhood,his clan,his parents,his brother as he used to be in his kind and compasionate days...What happened to all of that?What happened to you,Itachi?Sasuke turned around to see a familiar face.The corners of his mouth turned upwards to form a small,yet existant smile.

"Uchiha."Sakura walked to stop right in front of the dark young man.  
Sasuke's smile disappeared when he felt the harsh tone she used,but he remained silent and gave her a simple nod."Well,you seem to be doing well.I'm doing great in case you wonder.",the kunoichi said,avoiding his dark gaze.  
He turned his eyes away from her slender form,and made a couple of steps.He was now standing behind her,his back turned to hers."I'm sorry Sakura.I know I was selfish"  
"Hn."Sakura chuckled when she imitated his trademark all-answer.She always wanted to show him what it felt like to receive such an answer.  
"Sakura.Are you copying me?".The Uchiha heir glared at her mischievously,and walked through the gate that was marked with his family crest."You coming or what?".

Pink-haired girl was standing in the Uchiha's domain now.She felt a maelstrom of emotions whirling inside of her.She wondered what his childhood might have been like.What would it feel like to lose your entire family?She shuddered at this thought.Suddenly,while looking at this scenery,she felt a new kind of understanding for her teammate.  
"There's a reason why I called only you,Sakura."The girl turned to his deep,yet quiet voice.It was the same voice that used to send chills down her spine,yet now,it sounded different,sad.Sasuke had to admit that she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen,hell,he never really thought she'd turn out this beautiful.Or strong for that matter.  
"Why did you apologise,Sasuke?"The spiky haired man turned.  
"Where's the kun"  
"Ask Orochimaru."He bowed his head to this answer.  
"Sakura...You must really hate me now"  
"I don't hate you.I can't hate anyone.That's not the way I work Sasuke"  
Sakura didn't even look at him once during this exchange.He knew that,even though he was busy cleaning.Sakura just stared at the wall with the Uchiha crests painted on it.After a moment of silence,Sakura felt a hand grasp one of her own and pull her a bit further to the right.Placing her palm at one of the crests,Sasuke whispered something that made her heart resonate in her chest."This sign was painted when I was born"  
Sakura's palm was still on the wall,despite the fact that Sasuke had already resumed his work.She felt the rough cold wall with her fingertips for a silent moment,and then she continued her chores too.

It was late afternoon when he told her that the work was done for today.She was going to leave but once more his hand grasped hers."I need to talk to you Sakura.Please."

Sakura quietly followed the dark prodigy into the unknown parts of the Uchiha district.He seemed to want her to follow,and she did so without him telling her to do so.There was now some silent kind of understanding between the two.In the short journey,none uttered a single word,as if not to break the spell of the moment.

"We'll stop right on.",Sasuke pointed his finger towards the docks.  
The sun was setting and the water was in shades of red and pink,shades that for some reason reminded him of Sakura's hair.He silently contemplated this new gentle feeling owerwhelming him,before he pulled her hand once more so she would sit next to him.

"This is where I came to think when I was a kid"  
Sakura was listening,but she dared not to say a word,afraid that he might be hurt or offended if she asked anything about his family.He continued.  
"You see,my father taught me how to use my fire jutsus right here at this docks"  
"Wow.I'm sorry.I can't really even begin to understand how you must feel."Sasuke stared at her.  
"It's alright.I'm not alone."It was now Sakura's turn to stare at him.  
"Or am I?Sakura-chan"  
The kunoichi gasped.Did he just say what she tought he said?She couldn't help but smile at this.Sasuke rose to his full hight and stretched an arm for her,which she hesitantly took.  
"Hey Sakura-chan.If I do something for you,will you give me something?".Sakura chuckled and looked at him with mischief in her eyes.  
"Don't know.Maybe if I feel like it."

Uchiha Sasuke took a few steps,stopping at the edge of the docks."Then this is for you"  
Abruptly filling his lungs with air,the raven-haired boy smirked in his own trademark fashion,"PHOENIX FLOWER NO JUTSU"  
The flames engulfing the skies reflected in the emerald eyes of a very shocked kunoichi.It was only then she realised that Sasuke was back.Back into her life.

"Did you take a good look?That was just for you,and no one else."Sasuke said with a smirk gracing his handsome features.  
"I did...",was all she was able to say.He laughed out loud for her to hear.She blinked in wonder.  
"So I want my kun back."

She walked behind a silent young man once again.He was following her home this time.His hands were in his pocket,and Sakura finally noticed that he wore the same kind of clothes with the Uchiha emblem that he used to wear as a member of team 7.It brought back nice memories.Everything was back the way it was,and that felt damn good for both of them.As they parted at his gates,she told him that she'll come back with Naruto tomorrow to help him out.He nodded at this suggestion.Sakura turned to leave and walked a bit until he did the same.When she realised he had his back turned to her,she loudly said:  
"See you tomorrow,Sasuke-kun!"

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Chapter 3,done.Next chapter I think I'll do some jealous Sasuke.What do you think,I'd like some suggestions...so,please review!


	4. Unexpected help,jealousy strikes

Disclaimer:Still no Naruto for me...Damn... 

I took the suggestion to make Sasuke jealous because of Neji...Hope you'll like it.Thanks for the reviews by the way.Without further ado...chapter 4

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"Heyyyy,Naruto"  
"Ohayo,Sakura-chan.Why the rush?",the blond boy replied the running kunoichi.  
"Oh,hello,Hinata-chan.I didn't see you there",Sakura noticed the Hyuuga clinging to Naruto's orange sleeve.The pale eyed girl just chuckled in her own unique way."Can you help Sasuke-kun and me today?I promise,it'll be fun"  
Naruto raised his eyebrow."Since when are you two buddy-buddy again?"  
"Long story.So?"  
Hinata tugged Naruto by his jacket,"Naruto-kun.I think you should go."Naruto gazed into Hinata's eyes thoughtfully.  
Sakura stepped up a bit closer to the two."Wait.Maybe you can both come.We're just going to help him clean up the abandoned parts around his house"  
Naruto smirked."Alright,Hinata-chan!Let's go help the teme!!!"

The three walked conversing casually,mostly about Sasuke and his return,but Sakura also mentioned how glad she was the two of them were finally together.Suddenly,Naruto bumped into someone while he was jumping around cheerfully.  
"Ah,Neji-san!",Hinata apologetically jumped.Neji remained expressionless.  
"Hinata-sama.Naruto-san.Haruno-san.Hmm...What are you up to in such a rush"  
"OH.Neji!You can help too!!"Naruto yelled in his deafeningly annoying tone.Sakura explained the Hyuuga genious what they were planning,but also said that he should ignore Naruto's whining and that she was sure he had something better to do at the time.  
"Actually,I'd like to see how Uchiha is coming along.I will acompany you."

Sakura never expected that the Hyuugas,and both of them too,are going to be willing to help none other then the Uchiha Sasuke,Konoha's former traitor.They arrived at the Uchiha estate as fast as they could.By the looks of it,some serious cleaning was in store for the strange posse.Hinata suggested calling her other teammates to help them out,and as she was sure they would not refuse,she parted with the other three at the beggining of the Uchiha district.As they started walking in the direction of Sasuke's house,a familiar voice greeted them from the rooftop right above them.

"Sakura-chan.You brought help."Sasuke said,a smile gracing his face."And Hyuuga is here too.I must say I am really flattered"  
Neji didn't turn to face the man on the roof,but Sasuke knew he was watching him closely with his byakugan eyes.  
"Sasuke-kun.Should we start?"Sakura said as the raven haired Uchiha leaped in front of her.  
"Yes"  
Naruto didn't really understand the sudden closeness of his teammates,so he had to ask Sasuke,"Teme!Since when do you call Sakura-chan Sakura-chan?What did you do to her"  
Sakura giggled,"It's fine Naruto.Really"  
Neji interrupted this conversation and pointed to the Uchiha.  
"Shouldn't we be helping him?".Sasuke was glad Neji stepped up to Naruto.He was confused himself when it came to Sakura and needed to think some things through before he understands this new feelings for the kunoichi.

One hour later,the rest of the Rookie 9 as well as Lee and Tenten arrived to lend a helping hand.Sasuke showed no emotion,he was stoic as ever,but on the inside he was actually glad they accepted him back.The only thing that bothered him was the fact that Hyuuga Neji was a bit protective when it came to Sakura.Every time he glanced in her direction,the annoying Hyuuga would pop out of nowhere to block his view.Oh,Uchiha nerves were tingling.

Hell,wait!Why should he care if Sakura and Neji were an item?!Since when was he interested in her,anyway?No way in hell would the great Uchiha Sasuke be into the mushy-mushy interaction such as love!Nooo...One last glance at Sakura...She is kind of...No!Damn!Damn you you help me out here"  
"Sure"  
Sasuke turned to glare at the Hyuuga.Oh this was not right!The kun was his,dammit!It belonged to him!Neji turned to face the glaring prodigy with a un-Neji-like smile on his face.Busted!Bad Sasuke!  
"You know Uchiha,staring at people from behind could be interpreted in many different ways."Oh,Hyuuga wants to pick a bone with him!  
"Hn"  
"What does that 'Hn!' imply?Is that a yes?"Sasuke teleported behind him.  
"A genious shinobi should not be caught from behind,Hyuuga."Sasuke stated coldly.Though,on the inside,he was quite pissed.Suddenly,Neji disappeared and in his place a log dropped to the ground.  
"Damn bastard"  
"A genious shinobi should not be caught from behind,Uchiha"  
"Leeeeeeeeee,don't touch me!"Sasuke's little competition was interrupted by a screaming Sakura.Both Neji and him sweatdropped when they saw how the inoccent looking pink haired girl poked Lee's,um...delicate parts with an iron pole.They shrugged imagining his pain.Sasuke made a an inner note to himself to never,ever try to hit on her like this.

Wait a bloody sec,what?Hit on her?!Yeah right...Right?!What the hell!He wasn't possibly jealous,or was he?Nah.  
"Sasuke-kun,are you alright"  
"Hn.Oh...Yeah.Why?"He shot a questioning look at Sakura.  
"You seemed so distracted.I just wanted to tell you that we're done here"  
"Seems like it"  
"So...We'll be going right now.Sasuke.Hello?"The Uchiha men sure are weird sometimes."Earth to Sasuke-kun"  
"Oh...Oh!Wait,could you stay a bit longer?"Sakura stared at him.Did he just suggest she should stay?  
"Ne...Could you...Repeat that last line"  
"Are you deaf?"She shrugged."I asked if you could stay a bit longer?After they leave"  
"You want me to cook for you?"Sasuke raised his eyebrows.So she could cook for him,huh?Interesting.  
"That's not what I meant,but since you insist..."Sakura smiled at his humorous side.It was rare to see him like this.She tried to recall some memories back in the old days of Team 7,though she never saw Sasuke,the great Uchiha Sasuke,be this,dare she say it,confused.Stange...Something smelled fishy here,and she didn't mean Chouji's lunch."Alright.But just this once,Uchiha"  
"Hn."She turned to tell the others she would stay behind,and Sasuke eyed her every move.

She was kinda cute,he thought.But just kinda.And attractive.But of course he didn't think about that.Sasuke turned around to greet his friends,and that's when he saw it.The horrid scene that made him feel utterly,utterly stupid.Neji Hyuuga was kissing Tenten!And for a moment there,the brilliant Uchiha wanted to slap himself,but it would only make him look even worse in front of Hyuuga.Kami,this was so embarrassing...So damn embarrasing.  
"Are you going to just stand there or what?"Where did Sakura come from?Sneaky.  
"Aa.I'm coming."

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End of chapter...Heh,the next one's gonna be funnier,I promise.Well,ideas are welcome...I eat reviews.Don't let me starve...LOL!


	5. Food fight!

Disclaimer:blah,blah,blah,...um,no. 

I once ended up in a food fight.Though mine was kinda tragical(imagine being hit with a glass of water in your forehead in the middle of fucking winter.I shiver at the memories.Brrrrr...)Anyways,half of this stuff is based on it...Chapter 5

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"So the kitchen is that way,and if you need anything I'll be in my room."The dark haired shinobi explained the girl while she was looking around."Sakura,are you even listening?"  
"Ne,Sasuke-kun?What will you be doing in the meanwhile?"She finally turned in his direction.The Uchiha manor was overflowing with memories,the kind of memories one would want to lock away and forget.But for the young man facing her,it was the only thing he really had.He could either choose to build new ones,better ones,or to stay confined in his past,in his pain.The latter option was out of question,Sakura decided.  
"I just have to sort some things.I won't take long."Saying this,Sasuke shifted his stance,so that his back now faced the kunoichi."I think you should have everything you need in the kitchen"  
"Alright,I'll call you when I'm done cooking."

Whoa,Sakura thought,this place was huge.Sure,she saw the place from the outside,but now that she was actually in the house,the size of the place was kind of intimidating.It was clearly a mansion where families with children and servants would live,so it must have been quite an ordeal for a young single shinobi to keep it this neat.And damn it was clean.Hell,Sakura couldn't even find a speck of dust anywhere she'd look.An image of Uchiha Sasuke moping the floors with a rug crawled into her mind.She couldn't surpress a good laugh.Sasuke,the dark prodigy,cleaning dust?She looked through the kitchen shelves to find some ingredients,and found that he had a really big stash of food there.It would probably be good to make several different meals,since she didn't know his tastes all that well.

"Hey there."  
"Oh Sasuke-kun.I'm almost done.",the pink haired girl went past him and placed a plate of riceballs on the table."There."  
"Hn.You cooked too much."  
"Hey,how should I know what you like?"Sakura raised a pink eyebrow.Was he teasing her?  
"You could ask."Well that was an obvious answer.Sakura just ignored him,before this conversation would end up with him ticking her of with the 'Hn's and 'Aa's.  
"Thank you."  
"It was no big deal.Don't worry about it."Sakura went and placed the rest of the food on the table."Now sit down."  
"I didn't mean the food."Sasuke sat in his father's chair,and Sakura sat on the opposite side from him.For Sakura,it was just an instinctive decision to take a seat there,not knowing that for him it caused a maelstrom of new confusing emotions,emotions which he could not yet fully coprehend,but felt damn good at the same time.But now was not the time to be absorbed in thoughts,he concluded.

"So how was the dinner?"Sakura expected a compliment,seeing how he greedily ate his share.He grinned strangely.  
"It wasn't that bad."  
"Huh?"  
"Are you deaf?"Sasuke's little tease obviously worked,for Sakura's face was priceless right there.Oh,she was mad.  
"What do you mean it wasn't that bad.You almost choked!"  
"Hn."  
"Don't you 'hn' me!!!"Ooo...She's pissed.For a moment there Sasuke had an ominous feeling that he could end up with a free ticket to hospital like Lee did,but discarding that thought,he just resumed his game.She wouldn't hurt him,right?Well,at least he'd find out soon enough.He wondered why did it even bothered him as much,considering the fact that he had an cold bastard image to uphold.But then again,the idea of the pink bubbly kunoichi not loving him anymore irritated the last Uchiha even more,if that was possible.

"What now!Oh,you're giving me the silence treatmant!"  
"No that's not wha..."SMACK"Hey,what are you doing?"  
"What's it look like Uchiha?",the girl giggled and took another riceball to throw it at him.Ooooh!So she wants a war!The dark boy disappeared and turned up behind her in a split second,a ketchup bottle in his hands.Let the fun begin!Oh how dirty she would be!But who cares,right?She asked for it,Sasuke thought,swallowing the riceball remains that were stuck on his handsome face.

"You wouldn't!"She gasped seeing the ketchup bottle he chose for his weapon.  
"Oh,but I would!",he disappeared again and poped up an inch from her face.A wide smirk complimented his features when he saw her blush.The thought of her still reacting to him in the same cute way after all the years was for some strange reason making his heartbeat accelerate.He took advantage of her confused state and poured the contents of the bottle over her brand new white shirt.

"Uchiha!You.Are.Officially.Doomed."Whoops,was that too much?Eh,who cares...Sasuke dodged another riceball thrown at him and escaped in the direction of his room.He silently prayed her speed didn't improve as much as her strength did,otherwise his fate didn't look so pink as the pretty kunoichi.But as he didn't hear any footsteps trailing behind him he turned around,but only to be greeted by a pillow in his face.And she got him good!The feathers from the pillow were stuck on his face because of the remaining rice.Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't fall that easily!Before he could think of an apropriate payback,another soft blow to his face made him stumble and fall over.He was sitting down like a baby in a sandbox,Sakura burst into uncontrolable laugher as she realised that she made him lose balance and fall down in this very interesting possition.

"You don't look like a proud Uchiha now!Cha!"  
"Revenge!",Sasuke shouted playfully as he poped up in front of her and grabbed the pillow she was holding onto.  
"Not fair!It's mine!Uchy-brat!",Sakura struggled to keep the feathery weapon within her grasp.  
"What did you just call me?Forehead girl."  
"OMG!Chicken!You even have feathers now!"Sasuke shrugged,so she could argue better too...The evil thing...

Sasuke used the moment when she was too busy staring at the grin that was plastered across his face and snatched the pillow from her,but only causing her to fall forward and land on him in a very...exotic position.

"Well this is..."Sasuke gasped,encircling his right arm around the violently blushing kunoichi"...interesting."Sakura was paralysed,feeling chills run down her spine.The fact that her heartbeat resonated in her ears didn't help her at all.Neither did Sasuke,holding her pinned in this awkward possition.The only thing that conforted her was his expression,which was painted in a nuance of red she never thought existed.But why?  
"Ne,Sasuke-kun?"  
"Hn...?"  
"Could you like...let g-go?"Sasuke's blush intensified.God,what was this feeling?He was lost in those green eyes...Uchiha blood boiling in 3...2...Sasuke's hand was abruptly removed by a small soft one that belonged to the pink haired girl,and he quickly got up stretching an arm out to help her.

"Look at me.I'm all dirty...Ugh.",the girl skillfully changed the topic,but still blushing slightly.And that was enough for now,Sasuke thought.  
"Then take a shower in the bathroom down the hall."  
"Yeah,but..."  
"I'll get you some of my clothes.Just hurry up,I'm not exactly clean either."Sasuke said turning his back on her so she wouldn't see the little smile that refused to go away.  
"Alright.I'll be done in a couple of minutes."

Sakura was taking a cold shower a bit longer than she initially intented,but she had her reasons,and they were good enough for another ten minutes of blissfull chill.First of all,she was dirty and covered in ketchup and rice...And more importantly,she had to face the fact that she wasn't able to hold that damn blush.Not to mention that familiar feeling she had kept for the brooding young man,even after the time water was the best solution at the time...

Sasuke was going through his closet looking for anything that would suit her.He found his old clothes,a white shorts and a navy blue Uchiha crest imprinted shirt,identical to the one he was wearing right now,only smaller.It brought back memories.Pulling out a new set of clothes for himself,he walked out of his room to give the kunoichi her clothes.He wondered how she would look in them.The image of an Uchiha emblem on her back restored some of the blush he had just a couple of minutes ago.

"Sasuke-kun."A voice from the bathroom called.He let out a typical groan to let her know he was there."Could you just hand me the clothes.I'll open the door a bit."  
"Aa.",the black haired shinobi saw a small hand reach out,and gave her the clothes he found.He could only smirk when she got out in her new set of clothes.To say she was cute would be an understatement.  
"What?!"She blinked.  
"Nothing,I'll be back in a sec.",he walked into the bathroom and said closing the door,"Wait in my room."

She sat down on his king size bed.The first thing she saw was an old picture of Team 7,back from the genin days.Maybe he wasn't such a cold bastard after all.Maybe now,she could help him open up...Then,who knows...She was only glad she was the first one to notice the change.

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Chapter 5,complete!I hope you liked it.If you did,please let me know,I'm a bit down since I can't go out because I caught a really bad cold.Damn winter...


	6. Baaaad timing,dobe!

Disclaimer:noooooooooooooooooooooo...Breakdown..

Chapter 6

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Sakura was sitting on the king size bed in his room, checking out her surroundings. It was pretty much as she had imagined it, navy blue was the dominant color, with white curtains on the windows that blocked the view of the village. It was uncharacteristically clean if you are aware of the fact that a male shinobi resided within these four walls, but she noted that Sasuke Uchiha never was an ordinary boy, always different and unique in his own dark way. That was probably the very reason why almost all of the Konoha girl population around his age adored the brooding raven-haired Uchiha. Not her though. Alright,she had to admit it was her initial reason for the silly crush she had in her genin days. But then she got to know his pain...

"Bored?"

"That was fast. I never imagined you'd keep the Team 7 photo in your room.",Sakura stated absentmindedly, without looking at the young Uchiha that took a seat next to her.

"Hn...",Sasuke could but utter the sound that first came to his mind, staring at the girl beside him. He figured if he said anything it would sound stupid or unlike him, thus he chose silence. To him, Sakura seemed like an angel, and with every passing moment his desire to lock her in his house increased. He could say he lost the key...Nah,lame...

"You don't have to stare, Sasuke-kun.I know I look like a tomboy in your clothes. "Someone was being cynical...

"Cute...",Sasuke slapped the palms of his hands against his forehead. Shit, he wasn't supposed to say that! Damn...Now what will she think?...wait, why does it matter so much? It didn't bother him before. Oh right, he was busy being an obsessive avenger before. Was he falling for her?

"Sasuke-kun? You're blushing." Was he reacting like this because of her? Maybe he did like her? Sakura's face went yet another shade redder.

"Damn. I might as well ask."

"Ask what?" Kami, was he going to...

"Do you...ugh." Why was this so bloody hard? Sasuke remembered the events from that night long ago. When he betrayed them..."Did you..."

"Sasuke-kun? What?"

Sasuke stared at the imaginary spot on the wall opposite of them, scratching the tip of his nose with his index finger. Sakura adored the confused state he was in.It was so unlike him...

"Dammit!",the spiky haired shinobi stood up and faced the pink kunoichi,"Did you mean what you said when I left Konoha?"

Sakura's blush intensified. She averted her gaze to the floor. What to say? She thought he wanted to be friends with her...Or is he toying with her again, after countless heartbreaks he already gave her? She wasn't going to lie, she was beyond that old weakness.

"Sasuke-kun.I...I told you the truth. Because that's what I felt for you."

"Felt?"...felt...?Past tense. It was over then, he guessed.

The demon of doubt held the Uchiha by the throat. He loathed the feeling...Now he knew how hard it was for her. The roles were switched. She was the one who didn't want anything to do with him. Bitter irony.

"Sasuke-kun?Look at me."

"I'm sorry Sakura."

"Just look at me."

The young man gazed into the pair of green eyes that met him with just an equally affectionate gaze.

"I still…Feel the same way. Even though…"

Without warning,Sasuke grabbed the kunoichi's shoulders, slamming her against his firm chest. His arms coiled around her slender frame, wrapping her in a hug he unconsciously craved, perhaps even more than the pink medic-nin did herself. Resting his head on her shoulder he absorbed every bit of her scent. Words were pointless…Both were aware of that, knowing to treasure every second they had. They welcomed the silence and the fragility of the situation.Sakura returned the embrace with passion identical to his own. His breath tickled her neck as she relaxed in his arms. Staying like that for quite a few minutes, their heartbeats synchronized.

"Sakura", he whispered near her ear, touching her cheek with the tip of his nose as he slowly backed away. Her scent was unique, unmatched.

"S-Sasuke…kun…" Her rosy lips parted slightly. He was mesmerized by the serenity she emanated. Ever so slightly, the distance between them was closing… So close their noses touched, their breaths entangled…Sakura closed her eyes, intent to enjoy every second of the sensation. Until…

"Sasuke-teme!!! Where the HELL are you?", a screeching ultra-annoying fox boy yelled, banging his fist against the front door. Uchiha ears were bleeding at the squeal.

"Sakura. Please remind me to kill him later."

"You won't have to. He has no later…"

Their blushes receded, switched by the flushed expressions of true evil. Bad bad timing Naruto!

"NA-ru-TO!!!", Sakura yelled back, steaming because a certain Hokage-to-be just ruined the best damn moment she had in…EVER!

"It's alright Sakura. I'll just roast him a bit with some Katon and he'll go away."

"No damn way! What he really needs is a chakra imbued fist up his puny orange…GAH!"

"ARE YOU GONNA POEN UP TEME?! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE MAKING OUT WITH SAKURA-CHAN!!!"

Could he be any louder? Well, now he was in for a lovely round of very disturbing torture, Sakura decided.

"We kill him together?"

"Aa."

"Agreed."

"AaaaAH! Don't make me CRUSH your door! I've been working out with ero-sennin ya'know!"

Sasuke glared holes in the door, taking a short glance at Sakura. She nodded evilly. For a split second there, he felt utter utter pity for Naruto. But Sasuke got over it. After all, he wouldn't want to miss a great chance to see the almighty Kyuubi-vessel begging for mercy at the feet of a girl with pink hair…

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Yep,Naruto torture in the next chapter...Don't get me wrong,I like Naruto.Well,I'm switching back to lazy bum mode...buh-bye.If anyone has a suggestuion about the way they could torture him please put it in a review...Thanx for reading!


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